Travel News

Sniffer dogs recruited to root out bedbugs

Hotels in New York are reportedly recruiting sniffer dogs to prevent bedbug infestations following a recent increase in pest problems across the US.

Strong pesticides such as DDT were once used to kill off bedbug populations but fears over the safety of the chemicals led to them being banned, the Times reports.

Pest problems have soared as a result, with 6,889 infestations reported in New York City last year, compared to only two in 2002.

Hotels are now hiring extermination companies that use specially trained dogs to sniff out the bugs.

Once such company is Advanced K9 Detectives, which is run by Carl Massicott, who told the Times that his dogs have found infestations in some unusual places, including telephones, clocks and radios.

Mr Massicott also explained that his work often comes as a surprise to hotel visitors: "People have thought we were looking for gas leaks, even illegal fruit. No one ever suspects bedbugs."

The dogs used by Mr Massicott are capable of sweeping 150 hotel bedrooms a day and, according to their handler, are accurate 98 per cent of the time.

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